Silhouette
by Shashkia
Summary: Sequel to My Man. Taryn has returned, but does she feel the same for Gaara as she did six years ago? And how does Naruto feel about her sudden return? Taryn has secrets she's not willing to share; deadly secrets that could get her killed... R&R
1. Me? Dead?

He was twenty four now. It had been six long years since the last time he'd ever seen _her_ and he never stopped blaming himself. They had fought and she left with no good-byes, only a note. One note. Three words. Every time he'd closed his eyes since then all he had seen was those three words. How could he have been so stupid?

He growled lightly to himself and slammed his desk drawer closed. It was well past the time when everyone went home, and yet here he was still sitting there.

The title on his desk read: Gaara Sabaku, CEO.

Oh, yes. The day his father died he had been named the CEO; that was three years ago. A rival of their company, Orochimaru, had murdered his father and was still at large. Not that he cared.

In fact, Gaara wanted to find the man and thank him, throw him a _party_ for killing his old man. Hatred ran deep in his veins, but he didn't care. And now, on the news days ago, his twin's body was found mangled and torn apart in an ally not far from the company HQ. He wanted to find whoever did that and throw them a party as well.

Hell, he'd throw one big party for the both of them if it wasn't the same person...

A knock on his door drew his attention away for a brief second and he grunted, "Enter."

A blonde haired 23 year old walked into the room a wide smile on his face. How could he still smile?

"Hey, Gaara," Naruto greeted sliding into a nice leather chair across from the CEO. "Hinata and I are going to a party and we—"

"No." He said immediately.

"C'mon," Naruto's smile faded, "you have to let that go. She left."

"She was your sister." Gaara growled. He found himself clenching his fists tightly against his faded jeans.

"And I miss her so much." Naruto replied casually. "I wish I could go back and stop her. But she'll come back—"

"You talk as if she's still alive." Gaara clenched his jaw.

"I believe she is. Stop thinking she's dead! She's not." Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Look, if you want to come to the party here's the address." Naruto took a sticky note from Gaara's desk and scribbled an address in his messy script. "Come."

Standing he turned to the door, but when he got there he turned once more and waved. "She will come back." He smiled and walked out the door letting it shut behind him.

Gaara looked at the address before crumpling it and throwing it in the trash. He stood and grabbed his jacket from the chair in the corner before heading for the door. He shut the light out and froze the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. A silhouetted shadow fell across the floor from the window.

As he turned he reached for the light again, but stopped as a voice drifted through the dark chilling him.

"I can not fucking believe you thought _I _would die."

* * *

**A/N:** Tee hee... I could NOT wait for people to tell me they wanted a sequel. I had to put out this chapter! XD

But now I will wait for people to tell me they want me to continue the sequel. If no one tells me it no continues! X3 I am ebil I know, but that's aiight. Six years passed. Oh no, what now? X3

Please don't kill me. -innocent face-


	2. What's Going On?

Gaara looked at the address before crumpling it and throwing it in the trash. He stood and grabbed his jacket from the chair in the corner before heading for the door. He shut the light out and froze the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. A silhouetted shadow fell across the floor from the window.

As he turned he reached for the light again, but stopped as a voice drifted through the dark chilling him.

"I can not fucking believe you thought _I _would die."

Gaara whirled around just as the silhouette stepped into his office, the wind from outside blowing in, masking _her_ with the thin curtains.

"Taryn?" Gaara suggested lightly, hardly able to believe it.

"Well, duh. Who else?" she snapped moving the curtains out of her way.

Gaara's eyes widened despite himself. Her hair was still the same black, but somehow in the darkened office room it seemed blacker—inkier—and had a shine of deep blue to it. Her right eye was the same deep navy blue it had always been, but her left—since the accident it had always been white. Now it was a light shade of sky blue; he had to admit it contrasted with the rest of her darker appearance. Not that he could really see it since it was so dark.

"What're you doing here?" He asked bluntly after a few seconds, regaining his composure.

"Oh," Taryn sighed feigning sadness, "Didn't you miss me? Weren't you just pissed at Naruto for still smiling while I was supposedly 'dead' to you?"

"I meant here. In my office." Gaara indicated the blandly furnished room. "This is the top floor of a very high building and you come waltzing in my window."

"Well, thanks. It's great to see you too." Taryn snapped angrily. She moved toward him with a scowl on her face and it was then that he noticed what she was wearing.

A tight black lace-up corset with a v-neck, and tight, skin hugging leather pants. A long black trench coat was slung over her shoulders with a dark blue butterfly on the back of it. She was wearing mid-shin high combat boots and—the thing that most disturbed him was that she had knives and guns strapped to her thighs and tucked into her boots and belt.

What. The. Hell.

She smirked and tilted her head, her long hair falling over her shoulder like a curtain. "Like what you see?" Her lips curled back into a feral grin as she stepped up to him.

Placing a hand on his chest she leaned forward so her lips were right next to his ear.

"Framing Orochimaru for your Fathers death was easy, but fabricating Shukaku's death to look like a gang bang was quite hard." She purred.

Her breath tickled his ear and neck; he held back a shudder.

"You should appreciate all I've done for you. But you can't, can you?" she growled stepping away from him. "You never could."

In her hand glinted something small, shiny, and most of all—sharp.

Gaara narrowed his eyes confused. Why would she have a knife out?

"Taryn, what's going on?" He demanded flicking on the light.

Instantly she turned from him, her jacket billowing out around her; now all he could see was the dark blue butterfly on her back.

"When I got the call I was surprised." Taryn closed her eyes and sighed shaking her head. "You of all people I never planned on seeing again. I guess it was _Fate." _She chuckled darkly biting down on her lower lip.

There was no turning back now...

Then she moved, quickly, and before he knew it she was in front of him with the blade of a finely crafted knife at his throat. A large bruisecovered almost half of the left side of her face, and her lip, at the corner, was split open.

"What're you doing?" He was calm, his face showed nothing; no emotion. But inside he was in turmoil. What happened to her? Why was she like this now?

Her eyes found their way to his and she stared at him for a long moment. She was hired to kill him. To kill Gaara Sabaku. She loved him, but she'd been sixteen.. who is to say it was...

_Love._

She widened her eyes and her grip on her blade loosened. Gaara took this moment and grabbed her wrist pulling the knife from his neck. He twisted her arm causing her to cry out and twist to relieve the pain. And then he hit the back of her knee making her drop to the floor. He had her wrist in one hand and his other was on the back of her neck holding her in place.

"I don't know what happened, but you're are mistaken if you think I'll let you kill me." He said. His voice was cold, much colder than Taryn remembered it to be, and she sighed with a sad smile. _My Gaara.  
_

* * *

**A/N:** Heya! All I have to say is W.O.W! (Not World of Warcraft people! XD)

9 reviews on ONE chapter. NINE!! Can you believe that! -squeal- That made me so happy, I was like... Squee'ing. Hard to imagine I know.

Tar: You don't want to see that.

Me: T.T Why so mean...??

Gaara: -.- Get over it.

-sniffle- ANYWAYS!! -o- So, yeah, I was super excited so I decided to give you the new chapter and of coure: There is BADNESS!! Yay! X3

So, I wanted to thank all NINE of you who reviewed and I shall list them now for shout-out time: ProfilingXCSIXMyXCareer, CherrySodaPop, Shukakku the adorable racoon, (One of my very faithful reviewers!!! -SQUEE-) _moonlesslife_, GaaraSakura, aquamarine-acaia, Marianna, BinkaWV, AND last but not least kairiuchiha2.

:3 Thank you all so much and the next chappie will be up whenever I write it. XD


	3. Hired

**A/N: **Someone asked me why I chose the title Silhouette for the sequel and I figured I'd explain it here. :]

I chose it because a silhouette is a shadow against light right? Or something' like that. Taryn is torn between two things, in essence. The Light and the dark. Love and Hate. Life and Death. Love Gaara or Hate him. Kill him or let him live. So there you go. :]

* * *

_Love._

She widened her eyes and her grip on her blade loosened. Gaara took this moment and grabbed her wrist pulling the knife from his neck. He twisted her arm causing her to cry out and twist to relieve the pain. And then he hit the back of her knee making her drop to the floor. He had her wrist in one hand and his other was on the back of her neck holding her in place.

"I don't know what happened, but you're are mistaken if you think I'll let you kill me." He said. His voice was cold, much colder than Taryn remembered it to be, and she sighed with a sad smile. _My Gaara._

* * *

Taryn was now in a cell in the city jail. She was lying back on the uncomfortable cot with her fingers laced behind her head, staring at the too bland off-white cracking ceiling paint. Her facial expression was calm, and to her disappointment all of her weapons had been taken before she'd been locked up. She'd get them back, one way or another she knew she was getting them back.

"Hey, girl." The officer drawled unlocking the cell door. "Someone here to see you."

Without a word Taryn sat up and turned to face her visitor: Gaara. Taryn raised an eyebrow as a smirk slid across her lips.

"Wow, didn't expect to see you standing here." She said nonchalantly.

"Why?" Gaara asked staring at her.

"Well, first off I never expected to be in jail and secondly—"

"That's not what I meant." Gaara cut her off glaring down at her.

Taryn just stared at him for a minute longer before she turned her face away from him.

"Fine. Rot in here." Gaara bit back a growl and turned from her moving back toward the cell door.

"Hired."

Gaara stopped and whirled around to face her. "What?"

"I was hired to." She was staring at the ground feeling like a child being scolded.

"You were _hired_?" He didn't seem to believe her.

Taryn stood up and turned her glare on him. "Yes. Hired. By the same person who fucking hired me to fabricate your father and Shukaku's death!" she hissed.

"You accepted."

"Obviously. They're dead aren't they?" She stared at him like he was insane.

Gaara frowned deeply. "You were going to kill me."

Taryn rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. He had no idea what it was like. He had no damn clue how much it hurt being away from him for six years—how much those last words he'd said around her hurt.

_"You're wrong. There is nothing between us."_

Taryn shook her head some shaking the memory. "Why not?" She smiled turning her face to him. "You've already killed me."

* * *

Gaara had left after she'd refused to talk to him anymore, and he was confused as hell. How could he have killed her? She was standing right in front of him. He frowned and walked into his office slamming the door behind him. He sat at his desk and stared out the window. A few minutes later he growled and turned away from the window. All he saw there was her taking shape against the darkness.

He yanked open the top left drawer and pulled out the little slip of paper that had so much, yet so little written on it.

_Gaara,_

_I love you._

_Taryn_

Yes, he still had it. Why? Why did he keep it? Because he believed that she was out there, and now she was. But she was in prison now.

Attempted murder charges. She got off easy because he did not go to her trial and testify. She'd gotten 5 to 10.

Vaguely he wondered how she was doing. Hopefully not too bad...

* * *

Taryn smirked and stared at the big, muscled woman in front of her. Cocking her head to the side Taryn's smirk slid into a wide grin.

"What're you laughing at Princess?" The Muscle Woman snarled.

"Well, Muscle Man, I'm laughing at you." She said bluntly.

Muscle Man, who was in fact a woman, growled, grabbed Taryn by her hair and slammed her head into the table.

Taryn blinked and shook away the dizziness looking up at Muscle Man. "Wow, that really hurt. I am so scared of you now. What, do you want me to suck your cock after hours?" She purred unfazed. "Am I your bitch now?"

Muscle Man roared and reached across the table for her, but Taryn placed her foot on the lunch table and kicked it into the other woman's stomach. Then she moved and leapt over the table and onto the other woman knocking her backwrds to the ground. Taryn sat on the Muscle Man's chest, her knees on either side of her neck. Every time she tried to move Taryn squeezed her knees some cutting off her oxygen. Eventually she stopped trying to get up.

"Listen, honey," Taryn began, her voice colder that ice, "you no longer run this place. Since the moment they prosecuted me... It became mine. Understand?"

The woman nodded and Taryn smirked standing. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other now."

She turned and walked from the cafeteria just as a few guards moved to where Taryn had just been.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I got 11 last chapter. Wow!! I am amazed... really wow!! x3

That makes me uber happy!

Tar: Get over it. You suck.

Me: So mean.. still.. T_T

So, yeah, we all love you. And, knowing me, I forgot a disclaimer at the beginning of this sequel so here it is. I do not own Naruto, though I want to. ;_; I only own the people who are normally not there, like meh Taryn and... Muscle Man/Woman. xDDD R&R&R my lovelies~


	4. You Outta Your Mind!

"Listen, honey," Taryn began, her voice colder that ice, "you no longer run this place. Since the moment they prosecuted me... It became mine. Understand?"

The woman nodded and Taryn smirked standing. "Good. I'm glad we understand each other now."

She turned and walked from the cafeteria just as a few guards moved to where Taryn had just been.

—

It had been only a few months since Taryn had been locked n the prison. She was the one who ruled the place, even the guards, after one encounter with the deadly woman, surrendered to her. She had that ability to make people do exactly what she wanted when she wanted.

But in that whole time Gaara had not come once, nor had he written to her. She would not say it or show it, but it devastated her. She loved him. Even still after not seeing him for six years.

But seeing him again briefly, touching his face, his chest only for a few seconds brought back every memory, every touch, every kiss that they'd shared. To be apart from that now was killing her.

It didn't have to. Not anymore...

"Taryn, you have a visitor." The announcement came over the loudspeaker echoing all over.

She blew it off suspecting it to be some lawyer to try and get her off her sentence. She didn't want to listen to the lawyers bullshit, so she kept relentlessly wailing on the punching bag in the prison gym.

It wasn't until a guard came over to her and tapped her shoulder that she actually stopped.

"What?" She snapped. Her moods had taken a turn for the worst since the memories surfaced in her subconscious mind; her dreams.

"Your visitor said he ain't stayin' long." The guard relayed the message.

Taryn growled and grabbed a towel wiping the sweat from her forehead before she stormed out of the gym and down the halls toward the visitors room.

Her blood ran cold when she saw who was sitting in one of the chairs in the corner. All she could do was stare and when he looked up his cold jade eyes locking on her he stood.

"Taryn, I need to talk to you." His voice sent shivers down her spine and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

She walked over and sat down staring at anything but him. "Chu want huh?" She said, her dark gaze out the window.

"I'm dropping the charges." Gaara said nonchalantly leaning back in his chair a bit.

His jade eyes never left her once and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms and back of her neck. It chilled her, so she finally looked at him, her surprise hidden.

"Why?" she murmured her navy hues narrowing slightly.

"If you want to stay locked up in here forever, be my guest." Gaara stated quite coldly.

Taryn lowered her gaze to her hands, which she began to wring in her lap, nervously. Since when had she been nervous? She was a cool, collected, calm woman, not some love-stricken bubble head who got nervous every time Gaara looked at her. Right?

Right...

With a small sigh she forced herself to look at him again. "What is my alternative? The court will not just release me because you're not continuing to press charges, you know. That's not how the Law works."

Gaara studied her for a long moment before he cleared his throat speaking again. "I have given the Judge an alternative. He is skeptical about it, but he agreed." He paused.

"But..?" Taryn prodded. She knew by his tone that there was more she needed to know.

"You have to agree as well."

Taryn's jaw tightened, and her lips formed a tight line as she stared at him. "Alternative." She demanded.

"House arrest..." Gaara said simply.

"I don't live anywhere." Taryn scoffed leaning back in her chair.

"With me." He finished and Taryn fell backwards out of her chair.

"Are you out of your bloody mind?!" She roared.

Everyone in the visitors room suddenly became quiet and turned to stare at the two; Gaara sitting face emotionless and calm, and Taryn standing behind her fallen chair chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Sit down, Taryn." Gaara commanded, his voice stoic.

She opened her mouth to say something, but instantly closed her mouth with a huff and yanked her chair upright sitting in it. Then, in a quieter voice, she hissed, "Are you out of your damn mind?"

"No." Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "It is a logical alternative. I want to know why, you don't want to be stuck here, so house arrest in my home is perfectly logical."

"You're insane. On crack. Something. If I tried to kill you once, in your office, what makes you think that I won't try to do it gain in your own bloody house?!" Taryn growled through clenched teeth.

On the outside she looked furious, but on the inside her heart was pounding and her mind was swimming. She could barely find focus in anything let alone what he was saying. It was ridiculous! She could so easily dispose of him while he slept, or... Or...!!

"This," Gaara interrupted her thoughts and slid one piece of paper at her across the table between them, "is what will stop you."

Taryn gave him a look that clearly said 'you're insane' and glanced down at the paper. Her heart stopped for a brief second before she looked up at him, then back down at the paper once more taking it into her shaking hands.

"Why...?" she whispered.

* * *

**  
A/N:** Yola~ xD Haha, I left it there for y'all to be curious as to what ze paper says! x3 So, uhm, I woulda posted sooner but my internet was gay and I had to re-format some things and update my laptop virus scanner thingy and now it's fine so I updated.  
And I know the Law does not work that way and shizz but I dun care. x3 I can twist things in this story howevah I wanna and I decided that Gaara was gonna make her choose between prision forevah and bein' wiff him. Pssh, if it were me I'd choose him hands down. *¬* -thinking inappropriate things- Kukuku~..O_O *ahem* So, uhm, yeah...!!

So my brain is on crack -had too much mtn dew and chocolate panda paws ice cream- and I'm hyper as hell. Reviews would be nice, and welcomed, oh! I almost forgot!! :O ...wait... I forgot again... -__-

When I remember what I had to tell y'all I'll write it down and then put it in mh naxt Authors Note! I luff you all, and thankies for the reviews so far they are lovely, and make me happy. :3 Remember R&R&R!!! (Read, review, and recommend, for those who didn't know~)


	5. I Decline Your Offer

On the outside she looked furious, but on the inside her heart was pounding and her mind was swimming. She could barely find focus in anything let alone what he was saying. It was ridiculous! She could so easily dispose of him while he slept, or... Or...!!

"This," Gaara interrupted her thoughts and slid one piece of paper at her across the table between them, "is what will stop you."

Taryn gave him a look that clearly said 'you're insane' and glanced down at the paper. Her heart stopped for a brief second before she looked up at him, then back down at the paper once more taking it into her shaking hands.

"Why...?" she whispered.

—

Gaara stared emotionlessly at her from across the table. He could read the emotions passing through her eyes, and when she looked back up at him thought he saw a faint hint of regret but it vanished as soon as he saw it. Her gaze hardened and she threw the paper at him.

"You're even stupider than I thought." Taryn growled. Gaara could hear the waver in her voice like she was putting on a front.

And that is exactly what she was doing.

The idea of living in his home once again sounded too good to be true and she wasn't going to be a fool and accept something so absurd.

"You don't agree?" Gaara tucked the paper into one of his pockets, his stare making her feel like he was looking into her mind; she hate it.

Taryn rolled her eyes and a slight smirk settled on her lips. "I've been here for months. I own this place. You know nothing about me anymore, Mr. Sabaku." She said smoothly.

For a moment, after seeing what was on that small thin piece of paper, she'd almost forgotten who she was. She was Taryn Mae Uzumaki and she'd be damned if some stuck up CEO go the best of her.

Gaara stood his eyes narrowing. He strode around the table and Taryn got to her feet instantly, with much more grace than should be possible for any one person.

"You have a week. I'll come back and you'd better give me an answer." His voice was cold, and if his words were any sort of weapon she might've been dead on the floor. He turned to leave and as he made his way out his next words chilled her to the bone.

—

Back in her cell Taryn paced up and down, back and forth. If the floor was not stone, from how much pacing she did she would've made a rut.

_"I know more about you than you think..."_

Taryn scoffed and her fingers clenched. "He doesn't know shit. He can't!"

_"..you're not the only one with secrets."_

Then he'd left and his words echoed in her head, diving into her mind then resurfacing with a vengeance. A growl escaped her lips and she hurled the one wooden chair in her room into the mirror on the wall opposite her. A spider web of cracks split the mirror, then as if struck by something else the mirror shattered pieces falling to the floor in a shower of glass shards.

Vaguely she heard people shouting and rushing towards her cell. One long thin shard clung to the mirror and she saw her own eyes reflected back at her. A hatred began to burn through her veins, so deep, and so black she felt dizzy. She hated her eyes; They betrayed so much about her, told the truth through her lies.

_"Control your emotions!" _

Taryn flinched. Where had that voice came from?

_"You must never let your target have any control over you..."_

She knew that voice... And as she stared into the distorted reflection of her own eyes all emotion faded, and became stone cold. Icy.

This was who _he_ made her.

Taryn cringed and forced the memory to the back of her mind, behind a locked door in her subconscious.

"Taryn."

The voice jarred her from her thoughts and she turned from the last shard of the mirror.

"It's time for your weekly psych evaluation." The guard nodded towards the door of her cell and she brushed past him without a backward glance at the broken glass.

—

"Hello, Ms. Uzumaki." Dr. Seneca, greeted with a grin.

"You look a hell of a lot older than the last time I saw you." Taryn slouched in the uncomfortable leather chair across the desk from the psychologist. "And my name is Taryn." She added with a scowl.

"Yes, yes, Taryn. My deepest apologies."

"Apologies my ass." She hissed. This was the one person in the _entire_ prison she had no control over. It pissed her off to say in the least. "What d'you want me to talk about today, Dr.?" she asked quite boredly.

"Your Father." Seneca replied nonchalantly.

"No." Taryn bit back a growl, but her hands clenched so hard her knuckles turned white.

"Yes. You have been avoiding that subject since we started your sessions. No more. Today you will talk about him or you will not leave." That doctor was not going to give in.

"Well, then, I hope you have food and shit in that mini fridge of yours. We'll be here a while." Taryn smirked.

"Taryn.." The Dr. warned.

"He was born, he lived for a bit, then he died. There. Done. Let's move on." Taryn snapped angrily.

"No." Seneca smiled a bit, making the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Talk about him. Your relationship with him. His relationship with your brother, your mother."

"Naruto was my mothers child. I was my fathers." Taryn sighed, relenting to the stupid doctor. The sooner she talked, the sooner she'd get on with her day.

"Ok, go on." Seneca waved at her with a motion to continue.

"I was his Princess. I meant the world to him. My fuckin' mother was jealous so when he left on a business trip... He got hurt and she didn't give a damn. She just let him die. Pulled the plug off of life support as soon as he started to show minor activity. He was recovering and the bitch fuckin' killed him." Taryn's eyes remained the same as she spoke: cold, dead, and emotionless.

"Well, that shouldn't have happened." Dr. Seneca replied leaning forward. "How did that make you feel?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I was seven." She rolled her eyes and stood. "Look, I'm done here, I ain't got sit to talk about with you anymore."

With that she turned and left.

—

The week went by quicker than she would have liked and once again Taryn sat in the boring, plain white, visitors room. Gaara sat across from her, his eyes as emotionless as her own.

"Your decision." Was the first thing he said to her.

"I am disinclining your offer." She said boredly.

"I thought you'd say that." Gaara let a smirk slid over his lips and suddenly...

"TARYN!!!"

* * *

**A/N: **xDDD Guess who that iiiiiis~? Tee hee... okay, so I can't remember shizz so, sorry, but one of my reviewers made me actually get back on track. xD I was making Taryn wallow too much and I had to make her realize who she was, instead of brooding--

Taryn: I was not brooding!! -frown-

Me: -___-; Yes you were. Anyway, I had to make her stop brooding over Gaara, so I made her see who she was once again. Which is... DUNDUNDUN!! ...something you'll fin out later. If you can guess good for yoooou~ Anyways, (again) I thank everyone who has reviewed it makes me happy, but you should know that she will, in one way or another, go back to Gaara. Pssh, duh. I love him too much to toture him too badly~  
But, uhm, yeah... after this things get a little 'M' rated, but not too bad. I don't ever go into full detail with anything for the too young minds who might stumble across this, actually like it, and begin reading. plus I'm a perv, so.. *¬* I shall have fun writing that out!!!

See you next chappie~ R&R&R!!!


	6. Death Machine

* * *

The week went by quicker than she would have liked and once again Taryn sat in the boring, plain white, visitors room. Gaara sat across from her, his eyes as emotionless as her own.

"Your decision." Was the first thing he said to her.

"I am disinclining your offer." She said boredly.

"I thought you'd say that." Gaara let a smirk slid over his lips and suddenly...

"TARYN!!!"

—

Taryn's head snapped to the door but she didn't even catch who it was as she was thrown from her chair to the floor and a heavy mass of person landed right on top of her. The wind was knocked out of her and she shoved whoever it was off from her gasping for air.

The brief relief she felt when oxygen hit her lungs was short lived as the person who knocked her out of the chair began to squeeze her so tightly she thought a few of her ribs were going to snap.

"You're going to kill her, Naruto." Gaara's voice was slick with amusement. Taryn would've looked and given him a death glare if black dots weren't dancing across her vision.

"Oh, right! Sorry." Naruto released his grip and Taryn sat up coughing, breathlessly.

"Baka!" She cuffed Naruto in the side of the head. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I came to see you." Naruto winced rubbing his head. "Geez, that hurt, Tar!"

"Then don't knock me outta my—" She cut herself off as she realized what was going on. She pushed herself to her feet and the glare that she directed towards Gaara would've made anyone freeze in terror. Gaara only blinked, unfazed. "You...!"

"Yes?" Gaara's smirk was still in place and Taryn would've love to kick him in the back of the head, but she didn't.

"You... I loathe your very existence from the depths of my soul." She hissed.

Naruto grinned widely having no idea what was going on. "So, you're gonna stay with Gaara, right?" Naruto stared at Taryn, his grin not faltering for a second.

Taryn turned to tell him no, but she caught sight of his eyes. His sky blue eyes; eyes that revealed to her how much he had missed her, how much he wanted her to come back home... Those eyes which were exactly the same shade as their fathers.

She frowned and looked away from him, "Ya." She said simply. "I'm... coming back."

Gaara smirked in triumph across the table, and Taryn glared at him harshly. Oh how she hated him right now.

—

It took a few days to get everything settled in court, and soon enough, Taryn found herself having déjà vu. She was sitting at the table in the same house she spent those months living with Gaara, having a stupid thing attached to her ankle to lock her under house arrest.

It was no big deal to her because she was a master at escape, and would have no problem disarming the thing and pulling it off. They didn't need to know that, though.

The cop left with a disgruntled good-bye and now it was just Taryn and Naruto.

"I am so gonna visit you everyday and we can talk about what happened and—"

"You don't live here anymore?" Taryn interrupted with a frown.

"No. I don't. I live with Hinata. We've been together this whole time." Naruto grinned widely.

Taryn nodded some, and turned to Gaara. "Where're Temari and Kankuro?" she demanded.

"Temari is living with her fiancé and Kankuro is living in an apartment on the East side near where his girlfriend works."

Gaara failed to see the discomfort pass over Taryn's face. It was just the two of them then. While it was a great opportunity to kill him, since he was alone with her in the house, it was also very dangerous to Taryn, who seemed to have trouble keeping certain memories from popping up into her mind at unexpected times.

"Mm'hm." Taryn rolled her eyes and stood up, not liking the heavy thing around her foot. "This is going to get annoying, real quick." She muttered in distaste.

Naruto laughed and shook his head, glancing at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. "Well, I have to go. Hinata gets worried easily so, I don't want to be late. Later!" He waved as he bounced from the room and out the front door.

"Great. Now I'm stuck with a pompous ass." Taryn turned and walked from the kitchen, but was halted when Gaara gripped her wrist tightly in his hand.

"I got you out of that disgraceful prison. The least you could do is show respect." Gaara snapped.

She yanked her arm away whirling to face him. "I didn't ask you to help. I was perfectly fine where I was. I had every single person wrapped around my finger. I probably could have left any time I wanted."

"And yet you didn't." Gaara pointed out.

Taryn, without thinking, went to hit him across the face, but he caught her wrist. He had faster reflexes than she remembered. She was shoved backwards into the wall, and Gaara leaned down so his face was level with hers.

"You will _not _act this way." He commanded in his I-am-the-boss tone. "You are not a child. Stop acting like you are."

Instead of blushing from his closeness she got angry. "Don't you dare tell me what to do!" she snapped.

"Looks like I already did." He said coolly, like her anger did not bother him.

It should.

Taryn gritted her teeth and shoved him away from her with such force that he stumbled back a bit. His eyes widened a fraction, barely noticeable, but it happened. He didn't expect her to be that strong. There were obviously things about her he still had yet to figure out.

"You ever lay your hands on me again and I swear, Gaara Sabaku, it will be the last thing you'll _ever _do." With that threat lingering heavily in the air, Taryn shoved past him and stormed up the stairs taking three at a time. She slammed her door shut and collapsed on the bed that felt so familiar, yet so foreign to her.

—

"Heh," Taryn smirked, as she pulled the house arrest cuff off her ankle letting it clatter to the floor, broken and completely torn apart. "They should have known that I wouldn't stay this way for long."

With one glance back at the door to her room, she opened the window, lifted the screen, and leapt out from the two story room. The impact on the ground should have injured her, but it barely sent pain shooting down her spine. She shook off the shiver and slid off of the Sabaku property out into the street.

A glimmer of chrome caught her eyes.. It was beautiful. A two-wheeled death machine; sex on wheels. White tires, black paint, a motorcycle like none she'd seen before. And now it was hers.

"Come to mama," She purred straddling like she would a lover, leaning down letting her fingers work, her training finally coming in handy as she hot-wired it.

Taryn hit the gas and the beast roared to life. Tires squealed like a banshee as she took off down the darkened street like a bat out of hell. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, maybe a club or a bar; this city had to have one, she thought as the cold wind whipped around her and the warm metal churned beneath her.

It wasn't too long before she spotted neon lights, and blinking signs indicating bars, clubs. One specifically caught her eye and she grinned slowing down her death machine, pulling to the back parking lot and turning it off. There were no keys so she had no worries of it being stolen, and she knew how to hotwire so she was content with just leaving it there.

She swung her leg over the side and stood from the bike turning to face a few men in leather jackets.

"Nice bike," The biggest one noted with a nod toward it.

"Bikes you pedal." She said coldly, brushing past him.

The mans lackeys chuckled, but the big man did not find it amusing. "Oi!" He called and Taryn halted in her step, not turning to face him. "Where'd you get it? Steal it?"

"Whose to say it's not mine?" She grinned maliciously, glad her back was to them.

"I ain't ne'er seen this bike before." The man said stepping up to her now blocking her path.

"I fix cars, trucks, _motorcycles. _I custom paint. It's mine." She replied coolly. "Now if you don't mind," She placed a hand on the mans large forearm before she easily shoved him aside, "I am going to enjoy myself."

Taryn slid past them, and snuck into the club, hearing the raging beat even before she slipped in unnoticed.

—

Gaara caught sight of the discarded metal object on the floor and heard a motorcycle roar to life. He sighed in irritation, and moved downstairs. No he was not going to call the police. They'd only drag Taryn back to prison, so he just got into his car and followed the motorcycle, making sure to keep a few cars behind her always.

* * *

**A/N: **If you cannot tell I love motocycles, and made her steal one. x3 And that reviewer I was speaking about before: I am glad the Taryn you missed has returned. x3 And to answer you sort of question: yes. She has that ability to scare anyone if she really wants to and you'll see later on~

Also!! ._. I dunno if any of you have noticed but you still have no idea what was on the paper Gaara had showned her. Kukuku~ But for my amusement and mine alone I shall not tell you what it is BECAUSE!! It is important later on. And if any of you are wondering about Taryn's badass-ness: she had gotten ALL of her weapons back. Erm.. -scratches head- I KNOW there was something else I had to tell you, but I can't for the life of me remember... I know, though, that I am having so much fun writing this story. It amuses me so much and makes me laugh. Hee hee~

Anyways, I love you all, as y'all sould know, and I appreciate the reviews and the fact that y'all keep reading it! Makes me happy! So, keep it up, lovelies. R&R&R!! :]


	7. Fire Burnin'

"I fix cars, trucks, _motorcycles. _I custom paint. It's mine." She replied coolly. "Now if you don't mind," She placed a hand on the mans large forearm before she easily shoved him aside, "I am going to enjoy myself."

Taryn slid past them, and snuck into the club, hearing the raging beat even before she slipped in unnoticed.

—

Gaara caught sight of the discarded metal object on the floor and heard a motorcycle roar to life. He sighed in irritation, and moved downstairs. No he was not going to call the police. They'd only drag Taryn back to prison, so he just got into his car and followed the motorcycle, making sure to keep a few cars behind her always.

—

Watching Taryn weave her way through the crowd, from a far wall, Gaara remained stoic. His eyes, and face completely void of any emotion. No, he was not going to ruin her fun just yet. He would wait, let her believe that she was free, until he forcefully dragged her back to his house. He'd already made one call to a friend of his, Neji, and already bars were being put on windows and automated locks. She was not going to get out again.

He had more than one way of keeping an eye on her.

But, unfortunately, the job took a few hours so he would watch her until he got the call. Then, and only then, would he make himself known.

—

The beat was out of control, not the type of music that she would have originally listened to, but it was good for dancing. Over the loud beats she vaguely heard the d.j. announce the next song and a familiar beat echoed in her ears.

_"Somebody call 911! Shorty fire burnin' on the dance floor!"_

Fire Burning by Sean Kingston reverberated through her ears and instantly she began swaying to the beat her long inky black locks flowing around her body. A mass of bodies pressed in around her on all sides as everyone leaped away from the walls to dance.

Clubs were fun. Jumping people a mass of bodies moving to the music. It was something she had never been able to experience but now.. Now she could.

Halfway though the song she wove her back to the wall, sweat rolling down her slender form. She didn't notice the jade eyes watching her from across the room, but even if she did, when she glanced again they were gone.

She was just being paranoid, until a calloused pale hand gripped her forearm tightly.

"What do you think you're doing here?" A familiar voice hissed in her ear, yanking away from the wall.

Taryn turned and glared at Gaara trying to pull her arm from his iron grip. But it was just that, and iron grip she could get away from.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She snarled angrily. "Let go of me."

"No. You are under house arrest. You're coming with me." He began effortlessly pulling her to the door.

She jerked herself back bumping into someone spilling something alcoholic all down the front of her tight red and black corset. She didn't care. She was not going back to that house until she was good and ready.

That would never happen. So, she wasn't going back.

"Stop it." Gaara growled yanking her so her chest was pressed against his. "I will call he police and have them drag you back if I have to, Taryn."

A shiver of excitement rolled down her spine that she couldn't help. She found it oddly sexy that he was being so demanding, so controlling, and her heart skipped a beat. Before she knew it the beat faded and dulled as she felt the brush of cool, clean air hit her in the face, snapping her out of her daze.

"No." She said, her lip curling back, "I'm not going back to that hell hole."

Gaara said nothing and shoved her into the passenger seat of his car, child locking the door so she couldn't open it. A memory resurfaced when he had done that when they had been in high school, and he shoved it to the back of his mind, sliding in the drivers seat, but he didn't start the car.

For a long moment they both sat there in a tense silence until Gaara turned to face her. She just glared hatefully at him fighting the urge to leap onto him and kill him right then.

Gaara stared at her for a long minute before he leaned over, putting his hands on either side of her, pressing his lips demandingly against hers. She widened her eyes and gasped trying to move, but was kind of pinned.

When she gasped, her mouth had opened a bit and Gaara forced his tongue into her mouth. Taryn made a noise of protest but she couldn't resist the pull she felt and leaned forward kissing him back. Gaara forced back a smirk and pressed his tongue against hers as if demanding that she fight back, and she did.

Thus began the battle for dominance.

He growled in his throat pressing himself closer to her, pinning her back against the door, as he let her tongue in his mouth. He lightly bit down on her tongue sucking on it, and Taryn mewled in pleasure wiggling underneath him trying to adjust herself so she could wrap her arms around him. With a smirk Gaara increased the pressure on her lips before pulling back, starting the car and driving from the parking lot of the club.

Taryn, face flushed and short of breath, just stared at him before she growled lowly in her throat. "You... you...!!"

"Yes?" Gaara just smirked, chuckling softly.

"You son of a bitch!" she spat angrily. "You did that on purpose." She gritted her teeth angrily.

"Did what exactly?" Gaara mused, finding this whole situation completely amusing.

Taryn found this to be quite infuriating and she clenched her fists so hard blood appeared under her fingernails but she didn't say anything. No, she wouldn't.. she refused.

When they arrived at the house she had to wait for Gaara to open her door, and she planned to escape, but he latched onto her upper arm dragging her into the house. Neji stood in the foyer with his arms crossed over his chest. His chocolate brown hair was tied in a low ponytail at the base of his neck and he raised an eyebrow staring at her, taking in her appearance with his milky white orbs.

"Taryn." He greeted, and she only nodded in acknowledgement, her full attention on trying to pry Gaara's fingers from around her arm.


	8. Getting Started

_"Taryn." He greeted, and she only nodded in acknowledgement, her full attention on trying to pry Gaara's fingers from around her arm._

_—_

"Gaara, everything is set." Neji said coolly as he crossed the living room towards the front door.

"What is set?" Taryn snapped directing her attention towards Neji, who had his hand on the doorknob.

"Always the same, Tar." He smirked with a slight shake of his head "Ask your new house-mate." He chuckled before he made his exit with a goodbye wave to both 'adults'.

Taryn rounded on Gaara and he finally let go of her arm. "_What _is set?" she demanded with a cold glare.

"New locks." He said simply walking into the kitchen to get himself a glass of tea.

"Locks?" Taryn scowled following him. "For what?"

"I can't trust you to stay in the house. Obviously." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he grabbed a glass for tea. He poured some and turned to Taryn like nothing was wrong holding out a cup. "Tea?"

Taryn smacked the cup from his hands sending it shattering to the ground. "Take the locks off. Now." She was pissed to say in the least.

Gaara glanced at the shattered tea cup, then back at Taryn sipping his own tea nonchalantly. "No." He said bluntly.

"I hope you know.. That I fucking hate you." She growled, turning on her heel stomping up the stairs to her room.

After a few minutes Gaara followed her up to her room and without knocking he just walked in seeing her sitting on the bed staring at a photo of her and Naruto when they were still in high school. He stood in the doorway just watching her, when she turned and stared at him. He saw a flash of emotion pass by her eyes but it was gone before he could catch what it was.

"Get out." She said blankly.

"No." Gaara said just as emotionless.

Taryn stood with a scowl, a few strands of her hair falling in her face. "I said get out."

Gaara ignored what she said and moved closer to her, grasping a piece of her hair gently.

Taryn jerked back some, "H-hey..!!"

"Hm. I liked it shorter." He mused.

He stood there for a moment longer before he let go of her hair, then he turned and walked out closing the door leaving her.

"He's a fucking nut job."

Taryn turned towards her mirror and stared at it for a minute before she peeled off her shirt. Taking a wash cloth from the bathroom she wet it down and began to wipe at her exposed flesh. After a few minutes the skin color began to wash away from some parts revealing a black tribal tattoo. It spread across her chest like angels wings, over her shoulders and onto her back where the tribal opened up spreading all along her back and down over her hips coming back to the front.

That was her mark; her allegiance. She frowned and set down the wash cloth debating something in her head.

No one but those involved knew what the tribal on her upper body meant; so she could show it without any alarm, or suspicion. She decided to not cover it up anymore.

—

A few weeks passed by and Taryn seemed to be getting along with Gaara once again, but that was just what one saw. During the day she rarely saw him or talked to him and she spent most of her time with Naruto, or in the garage working on things people needed fixed. It looked as if she really was trying to right everything or at least get back the life she left behind when she had left.

Yet...

In her room late at night, after she was sure Gaara was not going to burst in, she pulled out files, and it began once again.

On the news people began disappearing, only to be found days later; dead. At first it seemed like a random pick of people, being shot down or killed with gang affiliations, but one thing stuck in the mind of the head detective.

Shikamaru Nara, was a genius. It was one of the many reasons he had been chosen to be the head of this investigation. His captain, Asuma Sarutobi had complete faith in him, but the evidence had no connection with any of the victims. Except for one thing.

Taryn stared at a file in front of her at the desk in her room. She began to look up things on her Dell, clicking and tapping away at the keyboard until she had what she needed.

Walking out of her room she wandered down the hallway and peeked into Gaara's room. It seemed as if he were out cold, sleeping. That was good for her. She smirked and turned walking down the hall to the front door. She had long ago figured out the code to unlock everything and she slipped out of the house as she had nearly every night since she had been kept there.

Deep in the city, in what looked like an old abandoned warehouse, two people were waiting. One held a bento box full of steaming food, and he was grinning leaned back in a chair with his legs crossed in front of him. The other was pacing slightly her heels clicking annoyingly.

"Where is she?" The woman sighed, looking out a small hole in one of the boarded windows.

"She'll be here, Baby." The man chuckled calmly, closing his eyes. "Man, I don't see why she picks times late at night like this."

"She's under house arrest, Jay." The woman known as Baby said in her annoyingly girlish voice. "Oh, she's here!"

The door to the warehouse opened and in stepped none other than Taryn. "Baby, what d'you got for me?" She asked bluntly.

"Always straight to business, like always Tar. Nothin' new." Jay sighed and shifted in the seat, pushing his light brown hair from his face.

"Of course not, now, Baby." She turned her attention to Baby who had stopped pacing.

"Well," And that began the nightly routine of the three. After about two hours Taryn looked at the watch around her wrist and she stood.

"It was nice chatting but I have to go. Do not come here tomorrow." She paused at the door but didn't look back. "Look for my mark."

Then she was gone disappearing into the night.

"She is so creepy." Jay said with a laugh.

"Oh, please." Baby huffed. "You're just jealous."

"Of what exactly?" Jay raised an eyebrow looking at the burgundy haired woman.

"The fact that _he _likes her better than anyone else in Shadow." Baby said matter-of-factly.

Jay frowned and shook his head, "That has nothing to do with this."

"You're wrong, Jay," Baby smiled. "It has everything to do with this."

Back at the house Taryn reset the alarm system and crept up to her room. But it was not time for sleeping yet. No she still had work to do. Once again tapping away at her keyboard she updated the information she had, and sent it straight to _him._ She smirked and closed her laptop before she changed into loose black sweat pants and a black cami.

"Finally..." She murmured as she laid her head against the pillow.

Jade eyes narrowed in suspicion from the girls doorway before disappearing once again into the darkness.

* * *

**A/N: **Gomeeeeeen for taking so damn long!! -.-;; Sometimes I hate the internet and sometimes I don't. But life is hectic and I got this out as soon as I could but it's reeeally late here so I'm off to bed, but before I go...

I have a picture up on my deviantArt account of the three in here. Baby, Jay and Taryn. I'll put up the link at the end of this note, but seriously, check it out if you want. :]

Uhm, now, finally, the mysteries of Taryn are starting to unravel and we get more into the stuff she had been doing for the past six years. Only took, what, six seven chapters? XD Well, I love you all!! Still, yepp! R&R&R!!

EDIT: Ok, so it's not letting me put up the damn link so.. -.-;; on deviantArt I am DestinyEater and the picture is in my scrapbook. It's called The Shadow. -nodnod- Yepp. Laters~


	9. What Is This?

**A/N: **Yola~!! Thank moonlesslife, everyone. If I did not get that review, oh, say a few hours ago I would have not updated this chapter today. Well, ok, I was bored and might've but I was debating and moonlesslife (my #1 faithful reviwer) had made me chose to update now. :) Thank you, moonlesslife, you never fail me! For you I am greatful and I really enjoy reading your reviews. -glomps- xDD

So, in this chapter you learn a bit more about Taryn and... will probably get pissed off at Gaara. Good! GET PISSED!! Buwah hahahaha*cough*cough* -o-;;

Anyways, I hope you like this update. :) I did. Enjoy my lovelies and I luff you aaaaaaall!! -dances- -blink-blink- ...o.o;; -is hyper- xDD

* * *

_Back at the house Taryn reset the alarm system and crept up to her room. But it was not time for sleeping yet. No she still had work to do. Once again tapping away at her keyboard she updated the information she had, and sent it straight to _him_. She smirked and closed her laptop before she changed into loose black sweat pants and a black cami._

_"Finally..." She murmured as she laid her head against the pillow._

_Jade eyes narrowed in suspicion from the girls doorway before disappearing once again into the darkness._

* * *

The next month went by the same. Taryn vanished at night, bodies turned up during the day while she was working in the garage.

Gaara was fed up, to say in the least.

They were sitting in the kitchen, Taryn had just gotten up and her hair was a mess, pulled back into a frizzy bun at the nape of her neck. She held a coffee cup in her hands staring down into the black liquid, her eyes still half lidded.

Gaara sat across from her with his tea in hand. He was staring across the table at Taryn, not having spoken to her in nearly two months. There was no way he would allow her to leave anymore. He had watched her night after night leave for hours before returning. He wanted information and he wanted it now.

"Taryn." He said to get her attention. The sleepy woman glanced up at him seemingly bored. "I know what you're doing."

"Uh," Taryn looked down at herself and then back up to Gaara. "Yeah, I'm drinking coffee. If you didn't know that—"

Gaara cut her off, impatiently. "At night. I see you leave, I'm not blind."

At that Taryn smirked leaning back some in her chair, no more awake than she had been five seconds ago. "I sleep. Night is for sleeping. I could be sleep walking you know."

"You're not." Gaara sipped his tea glaring at her from over the rim of his cup. "You think you're smarter than me, but you are far from it."

"Really?" Taryn laughed, "Then please tell me how I've been able to leave, hm?" Her eyes narrowed in amusement. "If you've got this place locked up tight, how can a mere criminal like moi go out at night?"

Gaara sighed standing. "Where do you go?"

"Nowhere. Everywhere. Anywhere that's not here." Taryn mused sipping her coffee. Gaara snatched the cup from her hands slamming it against the wall next to the table. He barely noticed the hot liquid burning his fingers, or the tiny shards of glass biting into his palm. "I was drinking that." Taryn said hotly standing also.

"Not anymore." He growled. "You will give me answers." He moved around and trapped her between the wall and himself.

"And if I don't...?" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"You're not going anywhere until you do." Gaara's eyes narrowed some.

"Too bad for you, I can stand here all day. You, however, have a business to run." Taryn leaned against the wall, her confidence not wavering one bit.

"The company will not fall if I am not there for one day." He retorted.

"I can stand here longer than one day, Gaara." She hissed her temper rising.

Gaara gritted his teeth and he had to fight the urge to backhand her across the face, though in all honesty, he thought she needed to be slapped into place. "I am giving you one warning—"

"Or what?" Taryn spat through her clenched jaw. "What'll you do? Huh?" She waited a moment. "Answer me!"

**Smack!**

Taryn stared wide eyed at Gaara, and her left hand moving to her cheek where she felt a light stinging sensation. For a moment Taryn was frozen to the spot just staring at him, speechless. But she didn't have to speak...

"Gaara!" Naruto burst into the kitchen having only caught the very end of that scene. He had come over as usual to see Taryn and had seen him backhand her. "What the fuck, Gaara?!" He exclaimed rushing to Taryn as Gaara stepped away from her.

Taryn just stood there her shocked gaze following Gaara as he walked to the kitchen door. "I'm not done with you." He said coldly before he turned and left to his in-home office. The door slammed shut and all was silent for a minute.

Naruto took Taryn's face in his hands and gently moved her hand from her cheek. He made a face, frowning deeply. "It's already starting to bruise.." He murmured. "What was that about?" Naruto asked sitting Taryn down in her chair as he went and got a washcloth and wrapped ice in it.

Taryn just sat there; he really just... She frowned, feeling a deep buried anger begin to build in her chest.

"Taryn?" The sound of her name, and an icy sensation on her cheek brought her back, away from that ugly coiling mass of anger within her.

"Hm?" She blinked and looked at her brother whose eyes were full of worry. "Oh, nothing. We were having an argument." She said simply.

"That looked like more than just an argument." Naruto said, not believing her for a second.

"Well it was. Just that, nothing else." She shook her head holding the ice against her cheek. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Uh, yeah." Naruto glanced once more at the bruised cheek, then he turned the conversation to one they have often discussed. "So, the police think they have a lead on the serial killer."

"Really?" Taryn smiled at that. She was a master at framing for others for things and murder was something she was good at.

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically before he frowned. "Seems like it could be Orochimaru, again. I hope... Sasuke.."

Taryn smiled, trying hard not to flinch. "Sasuke has nothing to do with them. He only went to that pedophile so he could rule the company to beat out the rival company: Akatsuki." She paused. "More his hot older brother, Itachi, than the entire company though."

"You and Itachi..." Naruto laughed.

They sat there for the entire day just chatting away. But, eventually Naruto had to go home, and Taryn needed a shower.

Both siblings stood up at the same time and Taryn lightly hugged her brother before she turned to go upstairs. "Try not to give Hinata too much grief. I'd hate to have to hurt you. She's fragile you know."

Naruto laughed and nodded. "Ya, no worries. See you later, Tar!" He waved as he left, the morning incident long gone from his mind.

Not from Taryn's. She stood in the bathroom frowning as she lightly ran her fingers over the tender flesh. "That fucking hurt." She murmured.

She closed her eyes and slipped out of her clothes and into the hot water of the shower. As she stood under the water letting it run down her pale skin she closed her eyes, sighing.

An unwanted memory surfaced and she didn't have the willpower to stop it.

_"What do you want me to do!" Taryn snarled angrily. Her fists were clenched at her sides. Her clothes were torn and dirty, a bit of blood staining her shirt._

_"Don't be so messy." A man with short spiky black hair smiled._

_"Messy?!" She snapped slamming her fists on the desk the man was hiding behind. "I wasn't being fucking messy!"_

_"You were. I do not tolerate messes, you know this Taryn." The man stood from his high backed chair and walked around the desk to face her. He grabbed her face in his hands rubbing a bit of dirt from her cheek._

_"Don't fucking touch me!" Taryn jerked back away from him._

_**Slap!**_

_Taryn's head snapped to the side and she stumbled from the force of the hit. Her hand flew to her cheek and she bit back tears of pain; meekly she turned to look at the man who had hit her._

_He frowned, his hazel eyes narrowing. "You will learn to not speak to me like that. Whether it be the hard way or the easy way you will learn." He paused and moved over to her. Taryn had to refrain from flinching away from him. He leaned down and kissed the forming bruise on her cheek. "Go get cleaned up. You're done for today.. But be up early tomorrow. It begins again."_

_Taryn nodded once, keeping her eyes downcast as she stepped over to the door. She placed her hand on the golden doorknob._

_"Oh, Taryn." The man said leaning back in his chair._

_"Hm?" Taryn didn't even turn._

_"Try not to be messy tomorrow. I have high hopes for you."_

_"Got it." Taryn opened the door and stepped out closing it behind her. She let her hand fall form her cheek as she walked down the dimly lit hallway. She passed by a man she now knew as Jay, and he laughed._

_"Looks like you pissed him off, newbie."_

_Taryn growled and slammed her fist into the mans temple and watched his head bounce off the wall before he crumpled to the ground. A wave of dizziness over took him and he just sat there for a minute; Taryn stood over him scowling._

_"Say anything to me again and I swear I will rip your fucking throat out."_

_He grinned sheepishly. "You're scary."_

_Taryn grunted and left him sitting in the middle of the hallway._

That had only been the beginning.. And it wasn't even close to the end.

Taryn sighed and opened her eyes letting the water run over her aching and tired muscles. She turned off the shower and stepped out wrapping a towel around her slender body. Then she slowly walked into her room and froze. Gaara was standing over her laptop gazing down at the files she had uploaded.

The ones he was looking at had giant red X's over the picture.

"What is this?" He turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed.


	10. Honestly?

She turned off the shower and stepped out wrapping a towel around her slender body. Then she slowly walked into her room and froze. Gaara was standing over her laptop gazing down at the files she had uploaded.

The ones he was looking at had giant red X's over the picture.

"What is this?" He turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed.

Taryn narrowed her eyes and stomped over slamming the top of the laptop down closing it. "Get out." She snapped angrily.

"Not until you tell me what the hell that was." He retorted with his arms crossed over his chest.

Taryn turned from him and began walking towards her closet. "Not on your life." She hissed.

Gaara grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. She gasped and clamped her hands on her towel holding it in place. "You will tell me." He nearly growled.

"Let go of me." She said slowly, dangerously.

"Not until you tell me what you were doing with those files." He said his grip tightening.

"You're hurting me." Taryn frowned.

"Too bad." Gaara said.

Thus began the death-stare match. It lasted for about point five seconds before Taryn got fed up and she scoffed turning her face away from him. "Remember the night I tried to kill you?" She asked, her voice emotionless. Gaara didn't say anything, but he remembered. He was still thinking about it. Taryn took his silence as a 'yes' and began again, "Remember that night in the cell? What I said to you?"

Gaara grunted his reply. He knew:

_"Hired."_

_"What?"_

_"I was hired."_

"You were hired to kill those people?" Gaara asked, his grip slowly loosening on her arm.

"No." She said nonchalantly. "I was ordered to fabricate their deaths. My job... Is not to kill. Unless specifically asked to."

"Like you were with me." Gaara said. A feeling began to build in his chest and he didn't like it. It wasn't really hate, more like disgust.

"Yes." She glared at him from the corner of her eyes. "I can't disobey my orders."

"And if you do?"

"I die." She yanked her arm away from his, her grip still firm on her towel.

Gaara narrowed his eyes into slits; he didn't believe her that much was obvious. "You're lying." He said.

"No, I'm not!" Taryn snapped.

Then he remembered. That night, when she was about to slit his throat, before he'd disarmed her he'd caught a glimpse of her face. The entire left side had been bruised and her lip was split open, newly scabbed. Maybe.. She wasn't lying. But then why wasn't she dead now? She'd failed. He was still alive.

Taryn scoffed at his silence and she turned away, once again going to her closet to grab clothes to put on. But Gaara wasn't done yet. He reached out to grab her arm once again, but instead he'd grabbed on to the back of her towel. He noticed too late as he yanked, wishing he'd just let go.

Taryn cried out as she was whirled around from the force of his tug. The towel was yanked form her grasp and Gaara now held it in his hand. Taryn nearly screamed as she crouched down, folding her hands over her chest. A deep red blush spread high across her cheeks.

"Give me back my towel right now!" She commanded.

Gaara barely heard her. In that moment when he'd pulled the towel away, before she'd been turned to face him he'd caught a glimpse of her back. He remembered what Nick, her step father had done to her, and he'd seen the scars, but.. Beneath the tattoo what he saw now.. What Nick had done seemed like paper cuts compared to the brutal marks, and scars than marred her back; the tattoo was covering it up.

"Taryn.." Gaara said slowly. "What the hell happened to you?"

Taryn turned her face to look at him, her body completely shielded from his view. She was confused, not knowing exactly what he meant. "What?"

Gaara looked down at her, his eyes serious, but Taryn thought she saw a hint of worry, she brushed it off though. "Your back. Those scars—"

"They're from Nick." She said hotly. "Now give me back my towel. Pervert."

"Do not. Lie to me." He said as he threw the towel at her. Quickly she wrapped it around herself and stood holding onto it tightly.

"I'm not. Nick—"

"He did not give you those scars." Gaara growled.

Despite everything, when he growled it always sent a shiver down her spine, it always made him sound extremely sexy to her and now was no different. "How would you know?" Taryn snapped. "Like you ever cared enough to—"

"I cared more than you'll ever know." He spat. He looked at her from her head to her toes then back again. "I thought you were different, Taryn.." He said his tone lower. "I thought you changed, and in a way you have... For the worst." He turned for the door and opened it, looking back at her over his shoulder. The look on his face, nearly shattered Taryn. It was full of loathing; what he said next could have killed her.

"You _disgust_ me."

The next day, and for a few days after that, Taryn refused to leave her room. She refused to eat, refused to see Naruto, she wouldn't even _speak_ to Gaara, let alone look at him.

She disgusted him?

He didn't know anything! She ground her teeth together, clenching her fists tightly so that her fingernails bit into her palm. She didn't care though, pain had always been a distraction. She closed her discolored eyes and found herself pulling out her keyboard piano. She turned it on and poked at a few keys before she felt the familiar urge to just play. She hadn't done that in forever.

She softly sang to herself with her back to the door. With her fingers moving swiftly over the keys, and her voice ringing in her practically empty room she didn't hear the door open. Nor did she hear it close.

_"It feels like I'm drowning..  
__I'm screaming for air.  
__The louder I'm crying..  
__And you don't even care!"_

She took a breath and went to sing again, but she stopped her fingers halting on the keys. Someone was behind her. Frowning, and with an inhumane speed she pulled a knife from underneath her leg, whirled around and was on her knees the tip of the knife pointed at Naruto's throat.

"Whoa Tar!" Naruto took a few steps back as the knife dropped from Taryn's fingers; she fell back onto her legs staring up at him.

"Oh, God.." Taryn whispered. "I.. I could have killed you!" Taryn said angrily. "Why didn't you let me know you walked in?!"

"I figured you'd yell at me for coming in." Naruto said moving so he sat next to his sister.

"Yeah, well, being yelled at is a hell of a lot better than being killed." She said pulling her knees to her chest.

Naruto wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him, and she just rested against his shoulder, her expression emotionless.

"Talk to me." He said after moments of silence.

"About what?" She asked softly with a sigh.

"I know you still love him."

"Cheh, as if." Taryn averted her eyes to the window, where she looked outside. "I would never love a pompous asshole like him. He.. Pisses me off so much and he damn well knows it!" She fumed. "He always pokes at me on purpose; I bet he has a damn death wish and is just pushing me to see if I _will _kill him!" She growled angrily.

Naruto began laughing; He fell backwards holding his sides he was laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?" She demanded frowning, not understanding why he was laughing that much.

"You!" He gasped wiping at his eyes.

"What about me?" Taryn stared at her brother like he'd grown an extra head.

"There is a fine line between love and hate Taryn. You're bordering on that line, but.." Naruto chuckled and kissed her forehead as he stood making his way to the door. "you definitely still love him."

"Wha..? Where're you going?" Taryn asked scrambling to her feet.

"I have to work. Some of us aren't lucky enough to be on house arrest." He laughed again as he walked out. A few moments later she heard him say bye to Gaara, then the front door opened and closed again. He was gone.

Taryn sank back onto her bed and stared at her hands. Those hands that nearly killed her brother... Those hands that nearly ended one life she didn't want to end. Those hands that killed countless people.. That had planned even more people's deaths. Her gaze shifted to the mirror hanging just above her dresser and she stared at her reflection. Scowling, the temperamental woman stood and made her way towards the mirror. With a cry of rage she slammed her fist into the mirror, shattering it.

She just stood there for the longest time, as her blood dripped onto the floor.

"I disgust me." She murmured shaking her head.

Another month flew by and before she knew it her house arrest sentence was nearly over. In one month more, two months maybe she'd be free. She could leave Gaara once and for all, and she could go back to doing her job the right way.

Only there was two problems with that theory. One; Did she honestly think she could leave Gaara a second time without it killing her this time? The first time she'd left she thought she would die. The only thing keeping her alive was her stubbornness. She had refused to die, to let death win against her. She survived, but barely. That's when _he_ came in.. and the second problem.

By now she figured _he_ knew of her failure, and he didn't accept failures. He _hated _failure, almost as much as he hated messes. Did she honestly think that she could go back to her work and not pay for it dearly? The last person who failed... Taryn shuddered not wanting to think about it.

She sat at the kitchen table staring absent mindedly out the window above the sink. That's when she saw it. Her eyes widened and she leapt from her seat, the chair clattering to the ground behind her. Taryn bolted up the stairs to her room, grabbed two m9's and slid down the banister.

"Gaara!" She shouted, there was an urgency in her voice. Gaara grunted from his office in response. "Please, _please_ stay in there. Just for a few moments." She said, hoping he heard her.

With her back braced against the wooden frame in the doorway between the living room and kitchen she waited. In her left hand she held an m9 pointed at the front door in the living room, and in her right hand she held her second m9. That one was pointed at the back door which came out from the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and it seemed as if everything slowed down and stilled. She heard footsteps and she evened out her breathing before her eyes snapped open.

The doors were kicked in and two shots was all it took.

* * *

**A/N:** AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! *ahem* Yes, I am sorry to say that I am leaving it here. Well, actually, I take that back. I'm not sorry at all. XDD Tee hee, this makes me laugh. Oh, yeah, once again we dive into the deeper thoughts of Ms. taryn and what a fun yet dangerous dive it seems to be.

Who was bursting through the door I wonder? And her sentance is almost over! Yaaaay!! Which does not mean that the story is coming to an end. Sorry, guys no can do! I am master of sadness and tragedy! Just wait! Oh ho! Kukuku~ I'm so excited you have no idea, really. But I am tired now cause it's five in the am here. XD

Oh, yes... moonlesslife, my faithful reviewer, I am glad I have you here cause you (whether you know it or not) push me to get out the next chapter quicker. :] Yes, yes, yes. How fun. XD So, uhm, I'm going to bed now. z_Z I'm about to pass out but I had to get this out and now I did, so g'night loves! R&R&R. I luff you all meh lovelies!


	11. Assassination

"Gaara!" She shouted, there was an urgency in her voice. Gaara grunted from his office in response. "Please, _please_ stay in there. Just for a few moments." She said, hoping he heard her.

With her back braced against the wooden frame in the doorway between the living room and kitchen she waited. In her left hand she held an m9 pointed at the front door in the living room, and in her right hand she held her second m9. That one was pointed at the back door which came out from the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and it seemed as if everything slowed down and stilled. She heard footsteps and she evened out her breathing before her eyes snapped open.

The doors were kicked in and two shots was all it took.

Hearing shots fired Gaara slammed open the door to his office and he froze staring at his living room. One body lay in the front doorway and a silent alarm was going off. He knew it would only be minutes before the police showed up. He gazed over at Taryn and saw her emerge from the kitchen; her face was emotionless, her eyes cold.

"What the hell just happened?" Gaara demanded walking over to her, not even bothered by the dead man lying on the floor.

"They broke in; I shot them." She said nonchalantly walking past him to the man lying face down on the living room carpet. She had black leather gloves on and she picked up his semiautomatic setting it next to an identical one on the coffee table.

"Why?" Gaara narrowed his eyes, glancing at the man lying on the tile floor in the kitchen.

"It was me or them. I am not ready to die yet." Finally she looked at him. "After they killed me they planned on finding you, and most likely assassinating you as well. I just saved your ass." She was about to pull her gloves off when she heard a ring.

Gaara moved over to the body in the living room and reached for the cell phone lying not feet away from the mans right hip.

"Don't touch it." Taryn commanded placing her hand in front of him. She knelt down and picked up the phone with her gloved hand. Flipping it open she held the small device to her ear. "Speak."

_"Hello Taryn."_

Taryn's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the phone.

A chuckle was heard from the other end. _"Surprised to hear my voice?_" A pause. _"I knew they would be no match for you. I just wanted to speak with my favorite girl."_

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Taryn demanded, her voice had a hard edge to it Gaara had not heard since Nick was alive.

_"I am not trying to pull anything, dear. Is that any way to speak to your superior?"_

"You left me to rot in prison!" Taryn snapped angrily her grip tightening on the phone.

_"You failed. You know the consequences. I merely was abiding by the Law."_

"Abiding by the Law? Don't make me laugh." She growled lowly her eyes narrowing.

"Taryn, who're talking to?" Gaara moved closer to her trying to hear the voice on the other end. Taryn just turned her back to him, ignoring him.

_"Is that the man you were supposed to kill?"_

"That is none of your business." Taryn said, calming just a bit.

_"I believe it is, dear. I ordered you to kill him. You did not."_

"There were complications." She said flatly.

_"Emotions are more than just a complication."_ The voice paused once again, before a sigh was heard. _"I thought we got rid of those.. You know how they affect your work."_

"My emotions affect nothing I do." Taryn clenched her hands tightly; any tighter and the phone would snap in her fingers.

_"Well, do not think that those were the only ones I sent."_

Taryn gritted her teeth as her face paled a bit. "How many?"

_"I cannot tell you that, dear, but I can tell you that they will be strong."_

"Why...?" She murmured.

_"Cause you failed. I do not have time for failures." _There was a long pause. _"Hm.. Well, I must say you're looking fabulous. Got used to your new life already?"_

Taryn whirled around and faced the front window. "You're.. watching me?"

_"I have always watched you."_

"Where are you?" Taryn demanded.

_"I am everywhere. Nowhere. Anywhere I wish to be. You know that."_

"Where are you?!" She nearly screamed.

_"Goodbye, Taryn."_

A click, signaling he hung up echoed in her ear; she frowned and glared out the window. Suddenly the window shattered and something grazed her cheek before slamming into the wall behind her. Taryn was frozen to the spot and the phone slipped from her fingers clattering to the ground.

"Taryn?" Gaara stepped into her line of vision and she blinked rapidly shaking her head, feeling blood roll down her cheek.

She moved around Gaara and darted to the shattered window scanning the front yard frantically. She could have sworn she saw a shadow move by one of the trees and she gasped, placing her hand on the frame of the window leaping out into the front yard. She ran to the spot where she thought she saw the shadow move, but she saw nothing. A harsh breeze blew around her, whipping her hair in her face; she wrapped her arms around herself and she shivered.

He hadn't forgotten about her. No.. he had done something much, much worse.

He was _watching_ her.

—

After the police came and Gaara explained to them that Taryn was not a danger to his life, and she had been protecting him, they left.

Gaara glanced at Taryn and saw her sitting at the table staring out at nothing through the kitchen window. She looked paler than earlier; he didn't think he'd ever seen her this shaken up before.

He sighed and grabbed a washcloth, and got it wet. He moved next to her and went to wipe the now dried blood from her cheek and that's when she snapped back into reality. She jerked back as soon as the damp cloth made contact with her skin; her breaths were coming out in short labored gasps.

"What're you doing?" She asked, the hard edge to her voice gone. Replacing it was a softer vulnerable tone.

"Since you can't seem to take care of yourself, I'm cleaning you up." He said simply, grabbing her chin and wiping the blood from her cheek none too gently.

She smacked his hand away with a frown, "I don't need your help."

"Obviously you do." Gaara said coldly.

"I need help?" Her tone indicated that she did not believe him.

"Yes. Now stop being stubborn." He moved to wipe her cheek again, when she jerked backwards, making the chair tip with her in it.

Since Gaara was standing over her she had no where to go and she hit the floor with the chair, rolling back and hitting the wall. "Do not. Touch me." She hissed lowly.

They stared at each other for a few very long, drawn out moments before Gaara tossed the washcloth on the kitchen table.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" He mused.

"I don't want to be touched by you." She said blankly.

"Not that," Gaara sighed. "About those two men and what they were doing in my house."

"I told you. They were sent here to kill me." She stood up and sat her chair up. "I failed in my assignment to kill you, so I now have a bounty on my head." She looked past him out the window with a frown on her face.

"The phone call." Gaara said.

"What?" Taryn turned and her eyes narrowed.

"Who was on the phone?" He repeated slightly slower.

"Someone you do not want to get involved with." She looked away from him and back out the window and she saw the motion-sensor light flick on.

Her eyes narrowed and she snatched her m9 from it's place on the underside of the kitchen table. Gaara's one thought was: when did she put that there?

He followed her into the living room and stared at her and she pressed her body against the wall right next to the door the gun in her hand. There was a seriousness to the way she stood that had Gaara wondering exactly what she did while they were separated. Taryn's eyes found his and she nodded her head towards the kitchen door, but Gaara shook her head and Taryn frowned.

She, then, closed her eyes and it was as if she could feel the presence of the people outside the house. _One... Two... Three... Six?_ She frowned. Only in training had she ever taken out six people at once.

Taryn took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, moving delicately pulling three knives from her belt. She put her m9 in her belt, put one knife in each hand and one in her mouth.

The door next to her slammed open and she moved faster than Gaara had seen her move. The knife in her left hand sliced open the mans throat and before she pulled the blade out she was already moving. She kicked that first man yanking the knife form his throat as she tossed the knife in her right hand behind Gaara nailing someone in the forehead.

"Two down.. Four to go." She murmured with the knife still in her mouth. She moved past Gaara yanking up the knife as the window in the kitchen broke and the back door slammed open. She chucked the knives in her hands at the men sticking one in the chest and one in the temple. "Four down."

She saw movement just outside the window and she pulled the knife from her mouth and underhand threw it. It spun, but stuck; a grunt was heard and a man fell into the kitchen from the doorway, the knife sticking out from his throat.

"One left."

A crash in the living room drew her attention and she whirled around, in the living room in an instant. A man was pulling a semi-automatic .45 from his belt. With a jolt Taryn realized he was aiming at Gaara.

Her heart stopped, and her eyes widened. "NO!" She screamed, and lunged forward in the path of the .45 .

As she moved in the path of the .45, Taryn grabbed Gaara and shoved hard, as she yanked the m9 from her belt.

Gaara had a hold of her arm and in shoving him, she caused herself to come off balance, and she watched the man with the .45 grin and aim. Taryn widened her eyes aiming her own weapon.

One shot was fired.

* * *

**A/N:** Please don't kill me~ ...xDDD


	12. Mistake

Gaara had a hold of her arm and in shoving him, she caused herself to come off balance, and she watched the man with the .45 grin and aim. Taryn widened her eyes aiming her own weapon.

One shot was fired.

Taryn hadn't fired.

Gaara had seen both of them aim their weapons, and he knew with the position Taryn was in that if she got shot, it would kill her. Something inside him snapped, and no matter how many times she'd pissed him off, it didn't matter how long she'd been gone or what she was doing now: he was not going to let her die. He kicked her foot, and her body twisted as she fell.

He got shot.

Taryn saw the blood, heard Gaara hit the floor with a grunt. Everything stopped.

Her eyes widened and her body began shaking; she had lied to the man that called. Her emotions didn't hinder her doing her job, not when it mattered.

After she saw Gaara go down everything happened so fast. She jumped up from the ground and leapt at the man who held the .45; bringing the m9 back she pistol whipped the man across the face the force from the blow shattering his jaw.

He stumbled back and Taryn raised her weapon shooting him in the chest. No, she did not miss, she wasn't aiming for his heart or his head. Her vision was red and as the man fell she shot him again and again. Convulsing on the ground the man was bleeding all over the floor. Taryn placed her foot on the mans stomach and unloaded the rest of the clip in his chest. By the time she was done the man had 20 holes in his chest and he was staring up at her in horror, and shock.

Spitting on his chest she finally calmed down enough.

_Gaara.._

Taryn whirled around, dropped her weapon, and rushed to Gaara falling to her knees. Panic set in and tears filled her eyes as she analyzed the wound in his left shoulder. Shaking she shifted him, and he clenched his teeth, glaring up at the ceiling.

"What is wrong with you?" Was the only thing Taryn could force herself to say. "Why did you... You're an idiot!"

She heard sirens knowing that the police were close and she prayed that an ambulance was with them. Shakily she ripped a piece of cloth from the tee she was wearing and pressed it against his shoulder. Gaara hissed in response to the sudden pressure.

"He would've.. shot you." Gaara muttered through clenched teeth.

"What?" Taryn looked down at Gaara fighting the urge to let her fear show. She was terrified for Gaara.

"The angle... you would have died."

Taryn couldn't say anything to that; he saved her life. After everything she had done, after the way she treated him, after the things she said.. he still saved her. Tears brimmed her eyes but she blinked them away staring down, putting all of her focus on stopping the bleeding, or at least slowing it down enough until the paramedics arrived.

They did shortly after that. They took him from her, and at first the cops wouldn't allow her to go with him since she was still under house arrest, but after Naruto showed up and saw the blood, and his sister nearly having a breakdown (one she used to have when they were younger) he convinced the police to let her see him in the hospital. Naruto promised that he would keep an eye on her and not let her leave his sight.

--

In the hospital Taryn had to sit in the waiting room until Gaara was out of surgery. Apparently the bullet has lodged itself in his shoulder bone and the doctors had to go in and pry it out.

Finally a nurse walked over with a fake smile plastered to her face. Her name plate read: Sakura.

"He's asleep, but stable. You can see him now if you would like." Her forest green eyes moved to the strange-looking woman but she said nothing. Brushing a strand of her cherry pink hair from her face she turned. "If you'll follow me."

Naruto led Taryn down the hall to Gaara's room. His shoulder was wrapped and his arm was in a sling, even as he slept. Taryn knew it would have to be that way for a while.

"Go on," Naruto nudged his sister. "I'll wait out here..."

Taryn nodded solemnly and walked into the room shutting the door behind her. She had many visits with the hospital before, but this was the first time in her life she dreaded being here so much. Hesitantly she sat in a chair next to the bed. Looking over at Gaara, seeing his unusually pale-white skin, the sling over his arm, his wrapped shoulder.. Taryn bit her lip and looked away putting her head in her hands.

_It's all my fault..._ she thought. _I brought this to him... I caused this.. All of it. He got me out of prison and I repay him by bringing assassins to his home. What kind of person am I?_

"You don't need to cry." Gaara said, his voice groggy sounding and hoarse. "I'm not dead."

"What?" Taryn looked over at him, a confused look on her face. "I'm not—"

With his good hand Gaara reached over and wiped at her cheek, something wet glistening on his fingers. "You don't need to cry." He repeated.

Numbly Taryn reached to the soft skin of her face and her cheeks were wet; she widened her eyes staring at her hand, glistening with tears. For a long moment it was quiet as she stared at her hand, then she looked back up at him.

"It was a mistake." She murmured softly her voice cracking.

"What?" Gaara shifted some, concealing a wince of pain, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"I shouldn't have accepted that job." She averted her gaze to the window across from his bed, staring out at the city. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. People peacefully walked out of the buildings, laughing and going about in their daily lives. Most of them had no idea, that people like Taryn existed. "I should never have come back into your life.. Refusing the job, enduring my punishment.. That would have been a lot easier than this."

Gaara frowned, not liking where this conversation seemed to be going. "Than what?" Even though there was pain medication in his system, his mind was not foggy enough to deter the commanding tone he took with her.

"Leaving." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "It is safest for you.." She gestured towards him lying in the hospital bed. "I caused this. All of it. I put your life in danger and..." She took a deep breath, releasing it slowly, "I'm not going to have your death on my conscious."

"You tried to kill me," Gaara remarked flatly, growing angry with her. How could she just come into his life after six years, try to kill him, _save_ him, then leave again?

"I thought I was over you." She said. "I thought I felt nothing for you, not a shred of regret for leaving, not a glimmer of hate.. I thought I didn't love you anymore."

Gaara didn't know what to say to that. Was she telling him, now, that she loved him still? She had bad timing for this kind of thing, only able to tell him she loved him when she was leaving his life?

And yet he had never once told her that he loved her.. Or even liked her. Though he had indications of feeling _something _for her. She didn't know what exactly it was, so she couldn't risk it anymore.

"But," she continued, "I realized when I had the knife at your neck, ready to end your life that I couldn't do it. I still felt _something._ I shouldn't have felt anything, but I did. That was my mistake." She sighed and brushed the remaining tears from her face, looking at him.

"I won't make that mistake again." Taryn smiled slightly, an actual smile and not the fake one she'd been giving everyone up to this point. "I also won't make the mistake of telling you something so important on a piece of paper..."

Gaara couldn't say anything; he could only stare at her a glare on his pale face.

"Gaara," Taryn murmured, "I _still _love you."

And she leaned forward capturing his lips with her. It was a quick, fleeting kiss, but for her it held so much: Love, and the regret of saying goodbye.

With that she stood and left the room.

Naruto brought her home without the slightest idea of what she was doing.

--

It was all over the news that Gaara Sabaku, a highly respected CEO of Sabaku CORP was shot dead in his home. The wanted woman Taryn Uzumaki was no longer a criminal but a hero as her blood was found all over the crime scene; no body. It was said that she had risked her life to protect the CEO, but in the end both had lost their lives. The culprits of such a heinous act was never found but still at large and it was advised that no one be out of their homes past nine o'clock at night, keeping all doors and windows locked until the murderer was found.

--

A week later Taryn stood in front of a towering mansion with her black hoodie pulled tightly across her chest shielding her from the cool air whipping around her. The men at the gate had let her in with a nod of recognition, and now she stood in front of the giant oak doors, almost hesitant about entering her home for the past six years.

With a disgruntled sigh she grabbed the door handle and yanked it open, feeling a _woosh _of warm air greet her. She stepped inside and the door shut behind her; every person in the main foyer stopped what they were doing and looked at her. Some people widened their eyes, other glared but she cast aside such looks and proceeded into the room with pride and elegance.

"Taryn!" Jay, one of her colleagues, called out to her with a wide smile on his overly smiley face.

"Hello, Jay." Taryn said, her voice as cold as he remembered it.

"We thought you were dead!" He smiled hopping over to her, the usual skip in his step making him look overly gay.

"Honestly, I don't see how anyone could believe me dead." She said in a bored tone glancing around the room hearing murmurs and whispers. Some good some not so good.

"Yeah, well after we heard what happened at that guys house we figured you'd gone," he paused, "To the other siiiide!"

Taryn resisted the urge to punch him, "Of course I hadn't you bumbling idiot."

"Taryn.."

The entire room went silent, not a whisper or sound could be heard save for the soft steps of shoes on plush carpet. Everyone turned and saw _him_ walking down the stairs. Instantly they all bowed... Except for Taryn. She stood there with her back straight and her face set in stone.

No one moved until he stood in front in Taryn, his warm chocolate eyes locked on her discolored ones. "You've returned home." He said, his voice soft echoing in the dismally quiet room.

"I have." She said, and kneeled bowing her head in respect.

"Get up." He said his voice gentle. "You do not need to act so formally towards me, my dear." He grinned, but Taryn knew, as she stood, that there was something dangerous behind that smile. "Come, come. Tell me all about your adventures."

--

Gaara sat watching the news of his "Death" roll across the screen. His family knew he was alive, and those close knew he was alive, but the hospital personnel believed that he had died the day after a 'mysterious woman' came to visit him.

Why Taryn had fabricated his supposed death was still a mystery to him. Almost. She had said that she didn't want his death on her conscious; she must have made her higher ups whoever they, or he, may be believe that he was dead and her job was done.

He frowned, unable to get the feel of her lips off of his. It had been over a week, and he had run a program so he could still run his company from underground with the face of Sabaku CORP as his idiotic brother, Kankuro. But that still didn't do anything for the bad feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.

He just couldn't shake the feeling that in the hospital was not the last time he would see Taryn.

* * *

**A/N: **Tee hee~ There you go, my lovelies. A new chappie and now we're getting to the good part! (Not that I don't think it hasn't been freakin awesome!!!! ..cause it has. xD ) But anyways, I updated for all of you people who have been hating my guts since the last chappie for leaving it off like that. :)

Oh, and about the gay reference to Jay, just so you know, I have nothing against gay people. xD I figured I'd throw that out there cause I don't need hate mail about I'm a homophobe. x3 Just lettin' ya know. Thank you for reading and shoutout to _moonlesslife_ who never fails me!! And I seem to have another faithful reviewer too!! Shoutout to _The Loyal Newt_!! Wooooooo!! Yay! This makes me happy!! -dances-

*ahem* Anyways, I'm just rambling now since it's waaaaaay past midnight here, but the next chappie should be out soon and I think I'm going to start updating once every week, or two weeks depending on what y'all want or how busy I am. XD So, now that I've said all I have to say: See ya next chappie! Don't forget: R&R&R!! :D


	13. Escape

He frowned, unable to get the feel of her lips off of his. It had been over a week, and he had run a program so he could still run his company from underground with the face of Sabaku CORP as his idiotic brother, Kankuro. But that still didn't do anything for the bad feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.

He just couldn't shake the feeling that in the hospital was not the last time he would see Taryn.

—

Taryn stood in front of the familiar red wood desk; the man she had tried to avoid sitting behind it, his back to her. She knew now that they were alone he was not going to put on his nice façade any longer.

"Come here, Taryn." He said.

"Sir, I think that—"

"Come _here_." He interrupted her coldly.

With a small sigh Taryn moved around the desk and stood next to him, her gaze out the giant window that faced the many acres of land surrounding the house. She knew that she was going to get punished for failing the first time, but to everyone in the world Gaara Sabaku was dead so she did not fail at all. No, she made it look like he had died; the job was a success.

"Look at me." His cold voice jarred her from her thoughts and she shifted her multicolored eyes to him, her body still facing the window. "Are you not going to try to defend yourself?"

Taryn, with a frown on her face, closed her eyes. "I failed. I will accept my punishment whatever it may be. Until I am ready once again to complete jobs, I am completely at your mercy. Sir." She added quickly.

The man in the chair leaned back with a cruel smile on his lips. "Good. You rehearsed that." He paused lacing his fingers. "Now.. _Defend yourself_."

"But I—"

Taryn was cut off as the mans fist connected with her cheek. Caught off guard she stumbled into the desk, losing her balance tripping so she fell back on it. She gritted her teeth but had no time to think about the pain flipping herself backwards over the desk just as the man slammed his fist down where her head had been.

"I told you to _defend_ yourself.. Not _speak_." He stood from his chair coming around the desk.

Taryn bent her knees a bit, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her eyes narrowed, but she bit down on her tongue to stop herself from snapping at him. Snapping at _this man _was not advised.

The man, known as _Sir_, lunged at her throwing a punch towards her stomach but she blocked pushing his hand away dropping to the ground sweeping her leg around to knock him off of his feet. He was too quick though and jumped back up onto his desk. "You've gotten quicker," He praised, then grabbed a letter opener from the pen holder near the upper left corner of the desk and chucked it at her. She snatched the handle inches from her face and jumped forward slicing at him, only to hit air. Whirling around, Taryn got another hard punch to the face, that sent her tumbling over the desk.

A groan made it's way past her lips and before she could even blink, his fingers wrapped around her throat. Hauled to her feet, he shoved her backwards until she bent in an uncomfortable angle on the desk. It was hard to get air into her lungs, and she gasped, struggling to breathe; this only made Sir tighten his grip hindering all hope of breathing. Darkness began to creep in her vision, but she fought hard to stay conscious.

Sir leaned down so that his lips were right next to her ear and when he spoke, his lips brushed against her ear. "You will pay for the trouble you caused. All the lives you took.. And.. Your failure."

That was the last thing Taryn remembered as darkness folded over her, dragging her down into the depths of her mind.

—

Two months passed before Taryn was able to remember anything correctly. She lay on a dirty stone floor, blood caked into her hair, and down the side of her face. Her clothes were dirty and torn, evidence of many beatings in the slashes ripping open the fabric. At this time she was alone, and from the shadows on the wall and the darkness that pressed in around her she could tell that it was past sunset.

Breathing heavily from the pain that numbed her she forced herself to her feet, her hands feeling along the gritty, rough wall until she felt a door handle. To her dismay it was locked; muttering a curse under her breath she began to pick at the lock using a pin from her shoe. She had broken the thing in half and was picking the lock.

Hours passed, and she began to grow tired; just about when she was ready to give up and sleep the lock clicked and the door popped open a slim crack. Peeking out through the crack, Taryn saw one figure standing by the door. From the way they were slouched over she figured that whoever it was must be sleeping. With ease she slid open the door and slipped into the hallway.

_Sacrifices must be made..._

Sir's voice resonated in her mind and she moved through the darkness up behind the figure. Placing one of her delicate hands on the figures chin, and the other on their forehead she jerked her hands, the sound of a bone snapping barely ringing in her ears.

Taryn let the unfortunate person drop to the ground and she stepped over the body moving down the dimly lit hallway overly alert.

She was getting out of this place. She had come back, but she knew deep in the back of her mind that the torture would never end. It would continue until the day she died, or was killed.

Either way there was nothing she could do to stop the ruthless beatings unless she escaped, and that's exactly what she was going to do.

—

Taryn heard vaguely in the distance, men shouting, and feet hitting the ground, sloshing on the grass. The rain drenched her frail form, but she was glad for the rain letting it wash over her dirty, bloody body cleaning her.. And washing away her scent so the dogs couldn't track her.

Her back was pressed tightly against the trunk of a tree just outside the giant barbed wire fence surrounding the grounds. So far she had killed four guards, and if things continued the way they were more were going to die by her hand. She refused to die this way.

Listening for the right moment Taryn waiting in her hiding place, shadowed by the trees shadows.

_It's now or never..._

—

Gaara was sitting in his living room staring at the tv, though it wasn't even on. He was just staring at the blank black screen. He'd been restless since he'd left the hospital and his death was announced on television.

Half of the time, whenever his door opened he expected to see Taryn walk through the doors, with a mocking smirk on her perfect lips. Due to his pride he would never admit that he missed her; no, he would say that he disliked the silence and would rather hear her screaming and yelling than the emptiness.

Kankuro and Temari offered to come back and live with him, but he'd openly refused. He didn't need them to be with him. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. They were trying to coddle him and he'd be damned if anyone coddled him or treated him any other way than what he deserved. He was the head of a damn company, and he would be treated and respected as such.

A low growl emitted from his throat and he resisted the urge to chuck the remote at the television. He wanted Taryn to come back. This was the second time she left his life and he had half a mind to leave and search for her.

God knew that he'd go anywhere, search every place on the entire Earth to find her; he would have left already to find her, but the entire world thought he was dead and he couldn't exactly walk out in broad daylight. Well, at least not until Taryn came back, which he was convinced she would. Right now the only thing keeping him inside was the same thing that made him crazy with the want to go outside.

Taryn.

She was safe now because the world thought him dead. Yet he was nearly losing his mind to not have her in the same house as him, under the same roof as him, down the hall from him... Within reach of him.

He glared at the television screen and slammed the remote control on the coffee table standing up. He had the sling removed two weeks before, and though his shoulder still sometimes ached he paid no mind to it. Not even now as it was pouring outside, thunder cracking in the distance and spider webs of lightning, lighting up the entire sky.

With one glance out the front window he turned off the living room light and headed towards the stairs dreading another night of sleeping alone..

..until there was a harsh knock on the door.

Gaara froze, his muscles tensing, as he glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning. Who would come to his house in the middle of the night? Especially on a night like this... Eyes narrowed he turned towards the door staring at it for a long minute. Maybe the knock was a figment of his imagination, or maybe it was the thunder?

No.

Another knock had him moving towards the door slowly, cautiously. There was one of Taryn's handguns right in the stand drawer by the door and he pulled it out, taking it off safe and making sure it was loaded. By the third knock he yanked open the door and aimed the gun ready to pull the trigger.

"Is that any way to greet me?"

Gaara widened his eyes, and lowered the gun staring in mild horror at Taryn's bruised and broken form. He felt anger tighten in his chest, building up so that he began to see red. The last time he'd seen her this battered was when she had nearly died coming home from her bastard step-fathers house.

"Are you going to invite me in or let me die of pneumonia out here in the rain?" Her lips were turning an unhealthy shade of blue and her entire body was shaking.

"Get inside." Gaara grunted stepping aside swinging the door all the way open.

Taryn limped into the house, her arms wrapped around herself, and since the rain had stopped rolling down her skin he noticed the blood that was mixed with the clear drops of water.

"What the fuck happened to you?" He demanded moving into the kitchen, not bothering to turn on a light.

Taryn followed him, and gratefully accepted the towel he offered her as he waited for her to answer his question.

"Didn't I tell you?" She murmured wiping her face and drying her hair. "I disobeyed; I failed."

Gaara just stared at her waiting for a better explanation for the state her body was in.

"Punishment. Retribution." She shivered violently, for once feeling vulnerable, and in that moment she really just wanted someone to comfort her, but she could never expect that from him. Not from her Gaara who was as stone cold as ever.

"You were the idiot who went back." Gaara said; he was still pissed off at her for leaving as abruptly as she did. Leaving him in the hospital like that, and even after he had saved her life. Was there nothing she was grateful for? Obviously not.

No matter how much he missed her, though he refused to admit it, he still could not get over the fact that she kept walking out of his life to randomly appear in the worst possible situations.

"Well, this idiot saved your fucking life!" Taryn hissed now drying her hair. "If I hadn't put all of that shit on the news you—" she faltered then shook her head some, "—you'd really be dead. Six feet under."

"Says you." He muttered in irritation.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She commanded, unhappy that this was how they had chosen to greet each other after over two months.

"I know how to take care of myself," Gaara said turning from her walking back into the living room.

She followed him and frowned, "Well fine then." She threw the towel at him and limped back towards the door. "I shouldn't have come here. I'll go see my fucking brother."

She yanked open the door, but it slammed shut again as Gaara pressed his hand against it. Gaara stood directly behind her, her ice cold body mere inches from his.

"No." He said, his voice slightly husky. "You're going to stay here."

Taryn's heart skipped a beat, before beating overtime in her chest. "Says you." She mocked.

"Yes." He wrapped both of his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "Says me."

Taryn felt his hot breath against her neck as he held her slender body against his, and she shivered but not from the cold. He held her like that for what seemed like an eternity before he, reluctantly, released her.

"You're going to get sick, go take a hot shower." He stepped back away from her, reaching past her to lock the door and set the new alarm system.

Nearly speechless Taryn just nodded and moved away from him and the door heading towards the stairs. "Uhm," She murmured softly, "thanks."

She turned and disappeared up the stairs. Moments later Gaara heard the shower start and he sighed letting out the breath he'd held since he felt her pressed against him. Ok, so he had missed her.. Missed feeling her so close to him, missed the smell that was uniquely hers.

Wow, maybe he was going crazy. He shook his head and turned towards the stairs with the full intention of going to his room. Until he felt that now his clothes were drenched.

Hey, what the hell.. He was going to go join Taryn in the shower...

* * *

**A/N: **Tee hee~ Just a fair warning for you all: It may get, eh, _steamy_ in the next chapter. XD Not too bad, cause well, I don't feel like writing anything like that... well, not yet. You forget, or perhaps you didn't know, but I have a very indecent mind sometimes. And if I'm in the mood, it might get rated 'M' in here not _just_ for language! XDD Ahaha!!

Anyways, thanks again to reviewers ('specially meh faithful _moonlesslife_)! Get used to shoutouts, they will happen prolly every chapter. And _The Silver Spork_, too!! Along with _The Loyal Newt_!! These three review the most frequently and, actually, keep this going. Hell, I could have this story finished and keep it ALL to myself, but these three give me the motivation to post for the rest of y'all to read! Thank them, they are great!

So I'm uber tired and had to get this up. And actually it was moonlesslife's review that made me update. -nodnod- Yepp. I loved the review, just so you know, and I am glad you lurve meh story!! Makes me happy, but like I was saying: I'm tired so.. I'mma go to bed since I have a looong (college-filled) day tomorrow. x3


	14. Shower

She turned and disappeared up the stairs. Moments later Gaara heard the shower start and he sighed letting out the breath he'd held since he felt her pressed against him. Ok, so he had missed her.. Missed feeling her so close to him, missed the smell that was uniquely hers.

Wow, maybe he was going crazy. He shook his head and turned towards the stairs with the full intention of going to his room. Until he felt that now his clothes were drenched.

Hey, what the hell.. He was going to go join Taryn in the shower.

—

Taryn was sitting on the edge of the tub, with a small white towel wrapped around her. The shower was running, but she wasn't in yet; she was fixing the water temperature. She was so preoccupied with what she was doing that she didn't notice the door opening behind her, but she heard in close.

With a surprised yelp Taryn jumped to her feet and whirled around clutching the towel to her tightly. Instantly she narrowed her eyes forcing a blush back, "What the hell are you doing in here?" She spat, mostly out of embarrassment.

Gaara simply strode forward removing his shirt as he neared the tub and her. "You got me soaked, I don't want to get sick so I'm going to take a shower." He said simply.

"_Now?_" She hissed holding the towel tightly.

"Yeah." Gaara said nonchalantly as he stepped out of his pants lying them with his shirt. He then moved over Taryn, tweaked the water a bit making it the perfect temperature, and stood staring over her. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes there is a problem!" She nearly snarled. "I'm not taking a shower with you!" She turned snatching her clothes from where she folded them and proceeded to walk around him.

She didn't get very far when he grabbed her arm pulling her back against him. Her clothes slipped from her hands and she nearly lost her towel as well. Her heart thudded in her chest and this time she couldn't resist the blush that spread over her cheeks.

"You need a shower." He murmured his mouth right next to her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her skin and it gave her goose bumps.

With her heart hammering in her chest, and her entire body trembling, icy to the touch from the rain Taryn decided he was right. She needed a shower, but she wasn't sure if she could take one with him. Sure, she was very proud of the way her body turned out, and she was not ashamed of the way she looked at all. But it was Gaara. And they were both going to be.. She refused to think about it as the girlish, perverted part of her mind snickered at her.

"Fine." She grumbled pulling herself away from him towards the shower. With a huff she squared her shoulders, turned her back to him, and dropped her towel stepping into the shower and under the hot water.

As soon as she stepped under the perfectly warm water she hissed in pain feeling the water pounding over her tense aching muscles and new cuts and scrapes. She was so focused on numbing the pain in her body she didn't notice Gaara step in the shower behind her until she turned ready to grab the shampoo.

Blinking a few times she had to remind herself that she had to keep her eyes either on his face or above his bellybutton.. Which was hard because once she caught sight of his seriously toned, slightly tanned chest she just wanted to reach out and touch him, but she resisted the urge, which proved to be more difficult than she thought. Instead of reaching out and touching him like she wanted she reached past his head and grabbed the shampoo. Before she was able to pour some of the soapy liquid onto her hand, the bottle was grabbed from her; scowling she snatched it back from Gaara.

"You are really going to irritate me as much as humanly possible aren't you?" She hissed lowly.

Gaara just smirked plucking the bottle from her hand, not saying a word, and Taryn flushed quickly turning her back to him.

Clamping her eyes shut, with a frown on her face, she breathed out deeply refusing to look at him, think of him or—

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off when she felt his hands on her head. She jerked forward, but Gaara grabbed her shoulders and grunted in that man way to show irritation without saying it.

"Hold still. You'll get soap in your eyes." He said from behind her.

"What're you doing?" She demanded.

She heard a sigh, but heard nothing more than that. Taryn just couldn't believe what he was doing. He was washing her hair like she wasn't capable of doing it herself! Snorting she rolled her eyes, making a face.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." Gaara spoke and it made Taryn jump. How'd he know she rolled her eyes? As if reading her mind he said, "I know you, Taryn. I'm not stupid."

Offended Taryn scoffed, yet again. "I never said you—"

She was whirled around, and a hand—Gaara's hand—was placed over her eyes as he moved her back until she was under the water.

"Be quiet." He muttered, but with her vision impaired at the moment, she couldn't see the smirk on his face, nor could she see what he was smirking for.

Her cheeks grew hot as he used his other hand to rinse the shampoo from her hair.

—

After a much embarrassing shower, Taryn nearly fell as she scrambled from the shower throwing a towel around her now clean body. She faced him, expecting him to have a towel on by now only to discover that he had not yet put one on. Her face heated up, but she was unable to tear her gaze away from his, well, _fine _body. Whole body. He was perfectly proportioned in every way, and even as he moved to grab a towel, not noticing her bright eyes on him, his muscles rippled in a seriously sexy way.

Her gaze traveled from head to toe and back again, and when she got to look at his face again he was looking directly at her with a smug smirk on his face.

Her face turned a dark, unattractive shade of red. And Gaara being himself had to say, "Like what you see?"

Turning away from him and crossed her arms over her chest and denied it with a shake of her head.

"Really?" Gaara's smirk widened and he strode forward, his towel secure across his waist, moving so he was right behind her.

"Mhmm."

"I think you're lying." He said and flicked her in the back of the head swiftly walking past her and out of the bathroom.

For the longest time Taryn just stood there, her heart pounding in her chest, struggling to get enough air into her lungs to breathe.

—

Now that she was dressed in a pair of loose black sweatpants and a black cami with her head on right instead of acting like a school girl with a crush she tried to think of the shower as nothing more than 'saving water'. Sitting on a chair facing the mirror she brushed out her long black locks of silken hair and she frowned. The area underneath her right eyes was bruised and swollen, her lip was cut open and there was a fading, nearly healed cut across her cheek.

Setting down the brush in her hand she turned over her arms counting the marks, bruises and cuts. Then her sapphire hues moved to her legs as she pulled up the legs of her sweatpants. So many—too many to count.

Taryn closed her eyes and put her face in her hands resting her elbows on the small desk in front of her. Why had she let it go this far? Why did she leave in the first place? Feeling water roll down her face she figured she didn't dry her hair good enough and she just lay her head against the table. Why did things turn out this way..? Why couldn't she forget him?

Why didn't he love her?

That last question made her jerk out of her wallowing, pitiful thoughts and she sat up straight with a scowl on her face. Then glancing in the mirror she saw her eyes, red and slightly puffy from tears she didn't know she'd shed. But that was not what caused her to scream.

_He _was right behind her.

Startled she whirled around stumbling over her chair only to see that no one was there. Eyes wide, with her heart pounding in her chest she nearly had a heart attack when her door slammed open and Gaara burst in. His eyes were narrowed, and dangerous as he scanned the room, then moved swiftly over to her.

"Why did you scream?" He asked, but his voice had a demanding edge to it as if she had no choice but to answer.

"I.. I saw..." She fought to explain to him what she saw but thinking it over as her heart settled down she knew it was irrational, and could never happen.

"Saw what?" Gaara's eyes narrowed and he turned looking around the room again.

"Nothing." She said shaking her head. "I didn't see anything." She turned back to her mirror and desk placing her hands on the smooth top.

"If it was nothing you wouldn't have screamed." Gaara argued.

"I didn't scream. You're hearing things." Taryn muttered.

"Don't lie to me—"

"I'm not lying!" Gaara grabbed her arm and Taryn hissed in pain wincing causing him to let go. "Please refrain from touching me." She said icily.

She couldn't let herself get any closer to him, to feel anything else for him, to get too involved with him anymore. It'd only get the both of them killed instead of just her. She didn't want to have him killed too.

Taryn knew she wouldn't be able to handle him dying. Especially not since the entire thing was her fault.

Gaara just stared at her, his eyes narrowed. Her voice told him she wanted him away from her, yet her eyes in the reflection of the mirror said she didn't want that at all. Moving so he was directly behind her Gaara looked at her in the reflection of the mirror.

"I will not." He leaned over her so his mouth was directly beside her ear and he whispered to her, making her eyes widen and her heart to skip a beat.

* * *

**A/N:** Ok so I have gotten back on this one and sorry for the delay. -.-; Christmas break and family things (elch) all piled on top of me. Ewie! Ok, so I'm not sure when the next chappie is going to be out since I have to move into my dorms on Tuesday, and I have to work this weekend, which just sucks. xD haha. Okay so I hope you like the chappie 'cause I did.

For those of you who read 'With This Knife' an update shall come later today or tomorrow night. M'hm. -nodnod- Okay so! Hope ya liked this chappie! Buh-byes loves! Wish me luck at college! Hehehe


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